The Kapuskasing Inn

A world-class hotel in the Ontario North, now long gone

Canada has some beautiful hotels. The Banff Springs Hotel, the Chateau Laurier are just two of the most famous.

Then, there was the Kapuskasing Inn, located in northern Ontario, far from the major urban centres, in the community of Kapuskasing. This community is located two hours to the northwest of Timmins, and nine hours north of Toronto.

Built between 1927 and 1928 by George Gouinlock, whose father, also named George, had designed several notable buildings in Toronto including buildings at Exhibition Place, the CNE Government Building and the north wing of the Ontario Legislative Building.

Commissioned to build the inn by the Spruce Falls Company, it was designed in the style of Neo-Tudor and it quickly became an incredibly important part of the community.

When Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip made their first visit to Canada in 1951, the inn hosted them. On the day of the visit, the population of Kapuskasing, 5,000 at the time, ballooned to 20,000 as people crowded around the inn to get a glimpse of the Royal Couple. They stood on the lawns yelling “We want Elizabeth.”

On the day of the arrival, the Kapuskasing newspaper stated in a large headline, quote:

“Kapuskasing, by no mere fluke,

Welcomes the Princess and the Duke.”

After stepping off the plane, she would inspect the guard of honour and had an informal reception at the Community Hall. While visiting the community, she also walked two miles through the pulp and paper mill, visited the hospital and toured the town.

During her tour of the mill, she asked the wife of J.A. Ferrier about the housing situation of the community. Ferrier’s wife stated, quote:

“She told me she thought the houses looked very nice from the outside and asked me if they were as comfortable within as they seemed to be. I told her they were grand to live in.”

When she appeared, she gave a short 175 word speech of thanks for the welcome she and her husband were receiving in the community. She spoke of her appreciation to those who had first come to the district as pioneers and first hand learned the hardships of frontier life.

The Inn continued to stand for decades, and was an important stopping place for dignitaries and anyone looking for high-class lodgings in what was essentially the middle of nowhere.

But, it was not to last. As time went on, the Inn fell into disrepair.

The inn would close in 2002 but in 2007, new investors came in to renovate it and return it to its former glory. Sadly, on May 22, 2007, youths set fire to the inn and it was damaged beyond repair. In 2008, what was left of the inn was demolished.